This invention relates to an improved carton for packaging single servings of pie, and more specifically to a carton of this type which is attractive in appearance and provides adequate protection for its contents.
The subject invention further relates to an improved outer parallelogram carton for holding a plurality of individual pie shaped cartons.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,131 and U.S. Pat. No. Re. 29,185, disclose triangularly-shaped cartons useful for packaging triangularly-shaped food products, such as slices of pizza. The cartons were adapted to hold the product during storage and heating. Heating by microwave oven was facilitated by openings which permitted circulation of air through the carton during the heating process, but which could be sealed prior to use. The openings were preferably made in the bottom panel and in the adjoining end wall panel, and were normally covered by a removable strip of film to protect the product from contamination during storage. These disclosures did not identify structural design features necessary to accommodate a single-serving slice of pie of the dessert-type which typically has a thin outer shell of a baked pastry crust and contains a filling of fruit or the like.
Dessert-type pies must be carefully protected from breakage, as well as drying out and contamination. Pies of this type are typically cut into single, wedge-shaped portions. The apex of this wedge is particularly fragile and is easily breakable. Similarly, the area of crust which extends around the base of the wedge is also easily broken. While the prior art has developed wedge-shaped cartons, there is no known paperboard carton adapted to package a dessert-type pie in single-serving, wedge-shaped portions and afford a degree of protection to the pie satisfactory for normal abuse during shipping and handling. Dessert-type pies need special protection if they are to survive shipment and handling so that they remain attractive in appearance when finally served.
Another shortcoming of a triangularly shaped food carton is that it can not be easily stored on a shelf or in a freezer since its unusual shape tends to take up more space than necessary. Also because of their shape, the individual triangular cartons are difficult to stack or pack and thus are prone to damage.